Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-07-23

I e. -a
HIS EYES NO SOONER RESTED UPoN NE.
| was a gentleman of leisure and a
friend of his confidential clerk, and
had been for some weeks staying under
the same roof with him,
My explanation wa no doubt under
stood; but there was hardly an abate-
ment of the dreadful fright in that
white, twitching face, A feeble hand
was reached ont and laid on my arm,
and then the fingers closed on it. as
though assurance was sought hat here
was no apparition, but real flesh and
blood. In a husky and trcmulouS voice
he asked another question, which did
not surprise me simply because | had
no room for any additional emotion of
that sort.
''shall You remain long in this city?"
My answer expressed the yacttruth,
| was so well pleased with the place,
its people and its many advantages as
residence that might decide to make
tiny permanent home,
A great sigh was his response. With
a strong effort he sat erect ON the sofa.
looked me straight in the eye and
spoke, clearly but TREMENDOUSLY:
"Sir, | beg your pardon; | am not
often so strongly moved. May | beg
of YOU, as Il favor to Il suffering man,
that you will leave me with Mr.. Ding
ley and await at your rooms a commu-
nication which he will bring you from
me during the EVENING"
1t was not a time for explanations. |
took my hat, babe him good evening
and returned to Madame Brcucr's.
This curious occurrence lcftm in no
mood for any thing but the explanation
of it, My supper was barely tasted;
and parrying various rallyings as to
my unusual silence, and Drawing the
d~eprecatory elevation of madame's
black eyebrows behind her great tea
urn, | escaped to my Dom The clock
had struck ten before | heard Dinglcy
traversing the hall. He did not stop
at his own door, but opened mine with
out knocking. He was agitated, nerv-
ous-in fact, painfully excited. With
out waiting for a question, he thrust
two documents into my hand. One
was an unsealed letter, addressed to
BraXton Brothers, Liverpool, The
otherwas the draft of Horace Bulstrodc
ON the same house, to the order of
Irving Glenn, for one thousand pounds.
81 suppose-and | told him-that
you've got ready money" said Ding
ley. ''But he insisted on sending YOU
this, too"
This was a five hundred dollar bank
note, which was also thrust into my
hand. | dropped the papers and the
money on the floor, and stared in ST.
lence at the messenger.
You are to 90 to Liverpool on n
steamer that leaves New York to-mor-
row. he said.
what do you mean?n
Just what | say"
II won't GO
you will.n
"What for?'
because Mr.. Bulstrode's peace of
mind-perhaps his sanity-rcQuires that
the ocean should be between you two"
"Mr. Bulstrode's peace and sanity be
hanged. What's he to me? And what's
all this mystery?"
"Irying, you and | have become
much like friends. Won't You do this
because / ask it?'
Peter, its Il great deal to ask"
He seized both my hands-beforc he
had ended he had an arm over my
sh0ulders-and talked eagerly, almost
f~rantically, for a straight twenty
minutes. He had promised his en-
ployer that he would get my consent
to my immediate exile from the coun-
try. II might last two or three wears:
he could tell better about that later.
He knew and Mr.. Bulstrode knew.
that it was an extraordinary requests;
but he could assure me that when !
knew the reason, some day, ! would be
fully satisfied. More than that he
would not tell me; only that the peace
and mental health of his employer dur
ing the few remaining years Of his life
were at stake. | should be richly re-
paid for the sacrifice, and though the
letter was giving me 4 nominal con-
n%ection with the Liverpool agents of
the mandatory, my time might be
wholly my own, Most solcmnly did
Dinglcy assure me that there was not
the slightest personal dishonor nor re-
proaeh on my part, in the business; it
was simply n great service to be rem
dercd TO Mr.. Bulstrode. Dingley's
conclusion, AS he pleaded with fearful
eyes, was most pathetic.
Irving. my boy, do this for me,
and some day when we sit here again
and | tell you the reasons for asking